Russia launched a large-scale overnight missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital early Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring at least 46 others, according to Ukrainian officials.

The attack struck multiple residential neighborhoods across Kyiv and surrounding areas, causing extensive destruction and raising fears of further escalation in the war.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said a residential building in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district suffered severe damage after a missile strike. The blast partially destroyed sections of the building between the fifth and ninth floors. Images circulating on social media showed a large portion of the structure’s facade collapsed, while emergency crews worked through the rubble searching for survivors.

The assault also hit several other residential buildings across the capital. Authorities reported damage to apartment complexes in the Podilskyi, Obolonskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts, while three additional residential buildings were struck in the Darnytskyi district.

In the wider Kyiv region, at least one person was killed and 10 others were injured, according to Kyiv Oblast Governor Mykola Kalashnyk. Emergency services remained at multiple impact sites throughout the morning, and officials warned that casualty figures could rise as rescue operations continued.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that the attack also destroyed several non-residential facilities, including warehouses, garages, and other commercial buildings in the Podilskyi and Obolonskyi districts. Additional damage was reported in the Holosiivskyi and Darnytskyi districts.

Beyond the capital, homes, businesses, and civilian infrastructure were damaged in the communities of Bucha, Vyshhorod, and Brovary in Kyiv Oblast, further illustrating the broad scope of the attack.

Residents reported hearing powerful explosions shortly after 1:40 a.m. local time, followed by additional waves of strikes around 2:10 a.m. and 3:15 a.m. Thousands of Kyiv residents sought shelter in underground metro stations as air raid sirens echoed across the city and Ukraine’s Air Force warned of incoming missiles.

Power outages were also reported in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a suburb located west of Kyiv, amid concerns over damage to local infrastructure.

Air raid alerts were activated across most regions of Ukraine overnight. The heightened security situation prompted Poland to scramble fighter jets as a precautionary measure to safeguard its airspace.

Although authorities briefly lifted the air raid alert in Kyiv shortly after 5 a.m., warning sirens sounded again around 8 a.m. following reports of additional Russian attack drones approaching the capital.

The latest bombardment came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing another major strike against Ukraine. In his evening address prior to the attack, Zelensky urged citizens to take air raid warnings seriously and called on international partners to speed up deliveries of Patriot air defense systems.

“Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike,” Zelensky said. “This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara.”

The attack occurred just days before Zelensky is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara on July 8. The meeting is expected to focus on renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war, which has continued for more than four years.

The planned talks follow a nearly 90-minute phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the U.S. president offered to help facilitate an end to the conflict. However, Putin reportedly reaffirmed Moscow’s intention to continue its campaign of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian targets.

Russia’s strikes on Kyiv have intensified significantly in recent months. Just four days earlier, on July 2, another major Russian assault on the capital killed 31 people and wounded 102 others, making it one of the deadliest attacks on the city in recent memory.

As rescue teams continue searching through damaged buildings and authorities assess the full scale of the destruction, Ukrainian officials warn that the threat of further large-scale attacks remains high. (ILKHA)